Siren
by sister-b
Summary: Daniela Della Rocco is trying to begin a respectable life for herself. Too bad her brother and his friends need a place to try to lie low for a while.
1. Chapter 1

Dani went about her morning routine, paying more attention to how she looked than she normally did. Her pace was quickened by her nerves, anxious about the job interview she had scheduled later that morning. Her hair was swept back, still wet from her shower; and her blouse hung open on her shoulders. As she finished brushing her teeth and spat the toothpaste into the sink, she heard a heavy knock on her door. Her watch sat on the counter top, telling her it was still early. 7 AM. Too early for any friends to come over. Her eyes narrowing suspiciously, she crept over to the door, not wanting her footfalls to give her presence away to whomever may be on the other side. She peered through the peephole, then closed her eyes with a heavy sigh when she recognized the man on the other side. She quickly buttoned her blouse, unsecured her chain lock on the door, and cracked it open. "I knew you'd find your way here eventually," she said, her tone resigned. She turned and walked away from the door.

"Dani," the man, her brother said, opening the door wider and coming in. He reached up to rake a hand through his longish hair. "Dani, we--"

"Need a place to stay," she finished for him from the bathroom. After a pause, she poked her head out into the hall to look at him. "We?" Only then did she notice the two men who had stepped into the apartment with David. One was closing the door behind him, making sure the chain was in place. She nodded slowly, beginning to understand. "So...Vincenzo wasn't a solo job, then." She smirked. "Didn't think you could have pulled that off so smoothly on your own."

"Hey, now--" David protested, coming down the hallway to talk to her. He leaned against the door frame, watching her pull a brush through her tangled, wet hair. "Look, we just need to stay here until things cool down, okay?"

She shrugged looking at him in the medicine cabinet mirror. "Fine. I'd been expecting you anyway."

"Whaddaya mean?"

Turning to look up at her brother, Dani smiled. "Come on, David. Lakeview? Everyone knows that was you. When I heard about that, I expected you to show up the next goddamned day."

David bit at his lower lip, still looking nervous and worried. "So you heard about that, huh?"

She snorted, turning back to the mirror. "Everyone's heard about it. Poppa Joe's not too happy with you, as I've heard it."

"Hey, how do you know so much? I thought they'd kill you or try to get me through kidnapping you or somethin' if they so much as saw you."

"I have my sources. Old friends who get loose lips with the promise of a nice night." She shot him a little smile before pushing past him into the hallway. "Besides, they haven't had much time to try to pull somethin' on me. It's only been a day or so, right?" She walked into the bedroom to slip into her heels before glancing into her full length mirror. Her outfit had pulled together nicely in spite of her not being given more than a day's notice. She was pleased that she still fit into the business appropriate skirt, having not worn it in a while.

"Why you gettin' so dressed up anyway? I didn't even think you'd be out of bed," David mused, his head cocked slightly to one side.

"Job interview," she replied, pushing past him again to go into the kitchen. She passed the dining area on her way, catching another glimpse of the two men who'd followed David. They were dressed identically, black peacoats, well worn jeans, and work boots. One man had darker hair than the other, but it was clear they were related. They both stared glassily at the small television she'd left on for background noise while she dressed.

"Oh, um..." David stopped her by taking hold of her arm. "Guys, this is my baby sister, Daniela. She's cool, we don't need to worry about her talkin'." The two men looked at her. The lighter-haired of them nodded, one corner of his mouth rising in a lopsided smile. The other—his brother, Dani assumed—smiled as well, raising a hand casually in greeting. David turned to his sister and finally smiled, showing he was beginning to relax. "These are the brothers I've told you about. That one's Connor, and that's Murphy," he said, pointing to them in turn.

Dani smiled, giving a little wave to the brothers. "The infamous MacManus's, eh? Nice to meetcha. David's told me a lot about your antics." She turned and went into the open kitchen, pulling open the refrigerator door and frowning at the contents.

There was a pause, then a soft "Like, how much?" She looked up to see Connor looking at her, and Murphy glaring at her brother.

"Like...I dunno, the bar fights, the giving him shit about his job, that sorta thing." The brothers visibly relaxed. Murphy rolled his eyes and slumped down in his chair. Confused, Dani looked from one brother to the other and finally to David, who looked a little nervous again. "Why? What antics should I not know about?"

Another pause. "Like...the...Vincenzo thing," David said, gesturing with one hand while running the other through his hair.

"Oh. Like I wouldn't know about that from—oh, I dunno—everyone else you've ever been involved with? Come on..." She gave David a look before grabbing a carton of eggs from the fridge, bumping it closed with her knee. "You boys hungry? I'd be happy to make some breakfast for us all before I head out." She smiled in their direction.

"Much obliged," Connor said, smiling back.

"Anything we can do to help?" Murphy asked, sitting up a little.

Dani smiled as she reached on tiptoe for a frying pan in the overhead cupboard. "No, I'm fine. Thanks, though." As she placed the pan on the stove top, she noticed David was still seeming uneasy. She turned on the heat, then walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug and laying her head against his chest. He hesitated before enclosing her in his own arms. "I'm glad to see you," she said softly.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause I thought you'd be dead by now." She looked up at him, blinking back sudden tears that surprised even her.

He sighed, then pulled her head to his chest again, hugging her tighter. "I'm okay, baby girl. It's okay." She was concentrating so hard on his voice that she didn't realize she'd started to sob until she felt someone brush by her. She looked up to see Murphy turning the stove off. She'd forgotten all about it, and the burner was red hot.

"I—I'm sorry, David...I just...When I heard about Lakeview...and then Vincenzo...Vincenzo, you stupid fuck!" She hit a fist against David's chest and looked up at him. "Poppa Joe's right hand! Why the FUCK would you think that'd be a good idea, especially when he's already gunning for you because of Anthony and Carlo at the deli!"

"I--" David opened his mouth to try to explain, but Connor broke in.

"It doesn't matter who they work for, love, or how high on the ladder they are. Evil men, dead men."

Dani looked at him angrily. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Dani, there's a lot of shit that you don't understand right now," David said, making her look back to him. "I didn't get it either until these two told me what they were doin'. And they're right. We're takin' down all the fuckers in the city who deserve it, even--" There was a slight pause, and Dani could tell her brother was trying to decide if he should finish what he was going to say. "Eventually, even Poppa Joe." David said, his voice even softer.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. She blinked at David, then looked from Connor to Murphy and saw that this really was the plan. "You're insane, David," she said, backing away from him. "In-fuckin'-sane. You can't possibly think that the three of you can bring down Poppa Joe alone! You'd need a fuckin' army, people on the inside--"

"We'll handle it when the time comes," Murphy interrupted, leaning against the kitchen sink with his arms crossed in front of him. "Don't worry about it. None of this will involve you anyway."

"None of it will INVOLVE me?" Dani's voice was shrill now, and David placed a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her. She shrugged it off and stepped in front of Murphy, getting in his face. "You fuckers come to MY apartment to make it into your little hideout while you're getting some delusion in your heads that you're going to take down one of the biggest mob bosses in the city? Just the three of you? And it won't involve me? I'd say the fact that I'm SHELTERING you makes it INVOLVE me quite a fuckin' bit."

"Come on, Roc, we shouldn't stay here," Connor said softly, nudging David's arm. "She's right. It's puttin' her in too much danger."

"No. No, we're stayin', that's it," David argued. "Main reason I wanted to come HERE is so I can watch over my baby sister because the shit's really hittin' the fan now, and I don't want her to be touched by those fuckin' assholes. They're gonna have to get through me and you--" He poked a finger hard against Connor's chest. "--and you." He jabbed his other thumb in Murphy's direction.

Dani's eyes had not left Murphy's during the entire exchange, but her expression seemed to soften upon hearing David's words. A tense silence fell over the four of them. "So...what, you just gonna stare at each other all day?" David finally said, gesturing a hand between Dani and Murphy. His words made Murphy crack a smile and laugh, breaking the tense stare-down between him and Dani. She stepped back, still watching him, unaware of the slight smile touching her lips.

"Fine. You can stay," she said. "But only if you promise you'll be careful." The condition was directed at David.

He smiled and stepped over to her, kissing her forehead. "I promise. I'll be as careful as I can, and these two guys are good. I mean, really good. They've got my back."

"We'll take care of him," Connor said, giving her his lopsided smile again.

She looked from one man to the next, David, Connor, Murphy. Their smiles were reassuring, making her relax finally. "Fine," she said again. "Okay. Breakfast." She glanced at the clock and grimaced at how little time she had until her interview. She turned the stove back on and greased her frying pan. Murphy and Connor left the kitchen, reclaiming their places at the small table.

"So, whatcha interviewing for anyway?" David asked. "You normally dress...differently. For work, I mean."

She rolled her eyes at him as she began scrambling some eggs. "Not that kinda work anymore," she replied. "Something more...respectable. Just office work."

"You gonna be able to live off that? I might be able to help you out if you need it..."

"No," she said, putting up a hand to stop him. "You aren't helping me. I'll be fine. It won't pay as much as turnin' tricks, but I won't feel like gulping down a bottle of sleeping pills every goddamned day of my life anymore, you know?" David frowned but stayed quiet. Dani smiled at him. "Besides. You have to admit, it'll be safer." He nodded slowly, biting his bottom lip. "Now, go. Watch tv or something. I'm sure there are some cartoons you and your friends can find." She winked before shooing her brother out of the kitchen.

Breakfast was easy to put together and serve. Nerves kept Dani from eating much, and she went into the bathroom while the others finished their meal. She'd only meant to check her hair, but swore viciously when she saw how badly she'd streaked her makeup while crying. "What? What's wrong?" David called, hurrying to the bathroom.

She laughed at his concern. "Calm down. I just need to redo my face." David sighed and disappeared again. Still chuckling, she set about washing her face, only looking in the mirror again as she dried off with a small towel. She gasped to see Murphy's reflection looking back at her from the doorway. "Jesus, you fuckin' scared me!"

"Sorry." His head was tilted quizzically, and he was still taking bites from a piece of toast.

Dani turned to face him, smiling slightly. "You, uh...you need to use the facilities or something?"

He shook his head, taking another bite. "Nah. Just bored."

His penetrating gaze was making her nervous, so she turned back to the mirror and picked up her eyeshadow palette. "Afraid I won't be very entertaining either," she said with a chuckle.

Murphy shrugged. "Least you're better to look at then those two." Dani stopped what she was doing and looked at him before smiling. He smiled back, raising his eyebrows slightly as he popped the last bite of toast into his mouth. He watched her in silence as she applied her makeup until she began to put on her lipstick. "You don't need it, ya know," he said.

"What?" She looked at him in the mirror, his voice having jerked her out of her own thoughts about the interview.

"You don't need makeup. You're pretty without it."

His words made her cheeks flame. She chuckled, embarrassed. "Thanks... Just makes me feel better, you know? More confident. I really want this job." She finished with her lipstick and put it away before turning to face him. "Besides, after all my years as a hooker, I'm used to MUCH more makeup than this."

Murphy looked her up and down and smiled, the same lopsided smile his brother had. "Well, you don't need it." He finally pushed himself away from the wall and went back to the dining room. Dani stood there for a moment, wondering why his compliment affected her so strongly when she was used to men calling her beautiful all the time. She shook her head hard to clear her mind, then went to the entryway to take her coat off its hook.

"There's a spare key hanging in the cabinet under the kitchen sink," she called into the dining room while gathering her purse. "If you guys go out, could you please lock up?"

"Wait, we're going with you," David said, rising from his seat.

Dani stopped and looked at him. "Uh...no, you're not..."

"Yeah, we are," he argued, blocking her way to the door. "I told you, I need to watch over you twenty-four hours a fuckin' day. You aren't leaving here without at least one of us with you."

"You're kidding..." Dani studied her brother's face and saw clearly that he wasn't. She sighed. "Fuck...all right, come on." She knew her brother too well to waste her time arguing with him right now. She didn't have the time, and it wasn't that big a deal at the moment.

The four of them went downstairs to the underground parking in her building and squeezed into her car. Before long, Dani began to relax. It was a sunny day, and she had the windows down. The air outside wasn't warm, but the feel of it on her face calmed her. Her favorite song came on the radio; and she began to sing along softly, the volume of her voice rising as she got into it. David reached down and turned off the radio. "Hey!" she protested.

"No singing," he said, staring straight ahead.

"But--"

"No. Singing." He looked straight at her this time; and she gave up, pouting.

"Let the girl sing, Roc," Connor said, leaning forward from his spot in the backseat. "She's got a gorgeous voice." Dani smiled at that. She'd always been proud of her natural talent.

"No," David said, turning in his seat. "You guys don't understand. There's a reason she's called 'the Siren' among the other guys."

"Siren?" Connor said.

"Like the Greek sirens?" Murphy asked.

"Yeah, like the Greek sirens," David said with a nod. Dani stayed silent, but she had a smirk on her face. "See, anytime one of my friends is around and she starts singin', he falls for her. Always happens. She sings, next thing I know, he's all over her." He shot a quick glare in Dani's direction. "Problem is, he gets so caught up in being 'in love'..." David made finger quotes in the air, "...he starts getting sloppy on the job. Then, what always happens is, he fucks up and gets in trouble with Poppa Joe, or one of his lackeys. Then, he either gets demoted or rubbed out because he fucked up badly enough."

"What?" Dani said in surprised, glancing at David. "Who got killed because of me?"

"Well, no one. Yet!"

Dani rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fucker...you scared me for a second there..."

David continued. "So yeah, she's not allowed to sing around my friends. She's a siren."

Connor shook his head and sat back. "Well..." Murphy said, "she didn't have to even open her mouth to make me fall for her." Dani felt her cheeks get hot again as she glanced in the rearview mirror, and her stomach fluttered when her eyes met Murphy's.

"Oh my god," David breathed, sitting back in his seat with a hand over his eyes. Connor just laughed. Dani cleared her throat and forced herself to concentrate on driving.


	2. Chapter 2

After her interview, Dani rode down to the ground floor of the office building in an empty elevator. She slumped against the wall, feeling uncertain if it went well or not. She was distracted, her mind always wandering to Murphy's eyes in the rearview mirror and his words. She didn't know if it was the color of his eyes or how they seemed to pierce right through her or maybe just his Irish accent, but something about the man got to her. She lightly banged her head against the wall of the elevator. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open in front of her. David was sitting in the driver's seat of her car, and all three men were smoking cigarettes. Dani approached the driver's door. "Scootch?" she said, waving a hand to make David move over.

"Nah, we need to head somewhere," he said, not really looking at her through his sunglasses.

She gave him a confused look. "O...kay? At least gimme a smoke?" As David dug in his pocket for a cigarette to give his sister, she noticed that Connor was in the passenger seat. Leaving her in the backseat with Murphy. Great. She took the smoke that David offered and went around to the other side of the car, climbing into the back seat. As soon as she'd sat down, Murphy held out his lighter to her. "Thanks," she said, taking the Zippo and flipping it open. After lighting her smoke, she handed the lighter back. When he reached to take it, she grabbed his hand to see his tattoo. "A—ack--" She tilted her head to see it better.

"Aequitas," Murphy said simply. He didn't try to pull out of her grip.

"Whassat?" Dani asked, looking up at his face. It took her a moment to realize the weird feeling she felt was disappointment due to his sunglasses covering his eyes.

"Justice."

Dani nodded slowly, looking back at the tattoo. "Have any others? I love seeing people's ink." She smiled at him.

Murphy chuckled, then pulled his hand back to wrestle his peacoat off. Dani swallowed hard when she saw his holster and gun, but she didn't say anything. She was used to being around members of the mob; she was used to guns. She just hadn't thought about the fact that Murphy and Connor probably had them within reach at all times. Murphy reached down and pulled up his right sleeve, showing her his Celtic cross tattoo. Without thinking, she reached out and touched his skin with her fingertips. Then she pulled back almost as if she'd been burned. "Sorry...do you mind?"

He smiled again and shook his head. "Nah, of course not."

Her fingers traced the intricate design and followed the lines that wove around each other. "God, it's gorgeous," she marveled. "Who's your artist? Is he local?"

"Connor," he answered with a grin.

Dani looked up, surprised. From the front seat, Connor pulled up his left sleeve and showed her the matching cross tattoo on his forearm. She leaned forward for a closer look. The two tattoos were identical. "So...did you do this one too?" she asked, lightly touching Connor's.

He shook his head. "Murph did mine."

She blinked in surprise, looking back to Murphy. She realized she was still holding his arm and let go with a sheepish shrug. Murphy chuckled as he pulled his sleeve back down. "Guess it's just one of the perks of being twins."

"Oh, you are?" Dani asked, making the three men laugh. "I knew you were brothers, but... I mean, you don't look..."

"Fraternal," Connor said, still chuckling.

Dani nodded. Murphy smiled and shifted in his seat slightly. "Oh, and..." He pointed to the tattoo on his neck.

"Wow..." Dani marveled, putting her hand up to the design but not touching.

"Hey, if you guys are done playing touchy-feely back there, we're here," David said, a tone of irritation in his voice. Dani's hand dropped quickly, and her expression was that of a child being caught doing something they weren't supposed to.

Murphy shrugged back into his coat. "Come on, Roc, cool it. She asked to see 'em."

"Yeah, I heard," David said, his voice still edgy. "Come on."

"Wait, where are we?" Dani asked as she got out of the car. They'd pulled up to the curb in a nicer neighborhood, probably in Boston's suburbs.

"Yeah, Roc, you never said where we were goin'," Connor said, surprising Dani. She thought she was the only one out of the loop on this.

"Just...needed to check somethin' out..." David's voice trailed off as he gazed across the street. He raised his head as if trying to see over something, then tilted his head from one side to the other. "Oh geez!" He twirled around to lean on the roof of the car as casually as possible. Dani tried to see what had triggered the outburst, but she only saw a woman in an SUV pulling out of a driveway opposite them.

"What the fuck, Roc?" Murphy asked, lightly slapping David in the back of the head.

"Nothin', let's go." David jerked open the driver's door and got back into the car. Dani, Connor, and Murphy all looked at each other in confusion before getting back in.

"Seriously, Roc, what was that back there?" Connor asked.

"Nothin'," David insisted.

"That was a 'nothin' that sure seemed to get a rise outta ya," Murphy said, leaning forward in his seat.

"It. Was. Nothin'." David's teeth were clenched as he spoke, and he jerked a head in Dani's direction. She realized then what was going on. He didn't want to say what was bothering him around her.

"David, is something wrong?" she asked, concerned now.

"Nothin'."

Dani huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in the seat, glaring out the window. She didn't like when her brother hid things from her. That's how she knew it was really bad.

That night, Dani waited until the MacManuses seemed to be asleep, Murphy draped over the dining table and Connor stretched out on the couch. David was in a chair next to Murphy, his eyes getting heavy as he watched tv. Dani lightly smacked him over the head with a newspaper. "Ow!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and rubbing his head. "What the fuck?" Murphy opened one eye and glared at David sleepily before joining his brother in the living room, muttering incoherantly and scratching his head on the way.

"You expect me to NOT grill you a bit when you take us to an unfamiliar neighborhood in the middle of the afternoon, have a shitfit over who knows what before getting back in the car and leaving, and then not offering me any kind of explanation?" Dani looked at her brother with her arms crossed over her chest and an eyebrow raised.

David shrugged helplessly. "Dani...look..." He sighed. "I was just gettin' a feel for somethin', okay? Doesn't have nothin' to do with you."

"Uh huh...issat why you and them disappeared and came back with full stomachs?" Dani gestured to the sleeping brothers in the living room. "You went to plan something with them over dinner, didn't you?" David stayed silent, but his expression told her she was right. "Fuck...mama would have had a problem with you doin' your dirty work over a fuckin' dinner table, David."

David shrugged again. "Aw, come on, Dani, you don't gotta bring ma into this..."

"Well, how do you think she'd feel if she saw you abandoning your baby sister to talk MURDER over dinner?"

"Shhhh, I didn't abandon you, okay?" David said, glancing nervously into the living room while gesturing for Dani to keep her voice down. "I told you, I don't want you involved in this shit. I had to talk to them about a job we gotta do, and takin' it somewhere else seemed like the only way to do it."

Dani's foot was tapping now, showing her irritation. "I had a nice dinner planned, David."

"For Christ's sakes, I know it's not about the fuckin' dinner, Dani!" David threw his hands up in frustration. "Look, I know you don't want me doin' this, but it's gotta be done! This motherfucker is one sick jerkoff that needs to be taken care of! I didn't want you knowin' about it; I just wanted to case his place this afternoon, get a good look at things!"

"You thought I wouldn't ask any questions?"

David threw his hands up again, turning away from her, then turning back and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Look," he said quietly, "I'm sorry. I should have learned a long time ago to not try to get anything past you." Dani smirked and nodded. "But please...PLEASE...just keep outta this stuff as much as you can. You're gonna have to ignore us. A lot. Please. For me. Okay?"

Dani sighed. She could see the concern in her big brother's eyes. "I promise. I'll keep my nose out of it."

He kissed her forehead lightly before hugging her. "That's my girl."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: This is where Dani's story intertwines with the movie. That said, I do not claim ownership over any of the lines that I took straight from the movie. Troy Duffy is a god, and I would never try to take credit for his work. Thanks for all the love you guys have been giving! 3_

A week passed. Dani had gotten the job, much to her surprise, and started immediately. David and the MacManuses had taken up residence on her living room floor, one on the couch, one in a chair, one on the floor. She'd offered half of her queen-sized bed to David; but he refused, sheepishly admitting it'd feel too weird to be sleeping with his baby sister. When she joked with him that she'd offer the extra bed space to Murphy then, he gave her a look that told her he wasn't amused. She dropped the topic. She had, however, been successful in convincing David that it probably wouldn't be a good idea for them to go to work with her every day. It would look too out of the ordinary. She had her own car, they had theirs. He couldn't argue, so he laid down the rule that work was the only place she was to go without them. She agreed.

She came back to her apartment after work one day and stopped in her tracks as she raised her key to the lock. There was a red stain on the painted door frame. It looked like blood. Her racing heart rose to her throat, and her hand was shaking almost too hard to get the key into the lock. She finally got the door open and first smelled a faint burning scent, like burnt meat. She started towards the living room, but stopped in the dining room instead. There sat Murphy, Connor, and David, all watching the small tv on the counter. None of them looked up at her as she entered. "What happened?" she asked, her legs threatening to collapse with relief that they were all alive. As she moved closer to them, she saw that the tabletop was covered with smudges of blood. "What...happened?" Her voice was quavering this time.

"Aw...Dani," David stood up; and she fell into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Dani, it's okay. We're okay," he whispered over and over.

She pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes betrayed that something was bothering him. She looked at the other two men at the table, only now noticing that Murphy's shirt had a hole torn out of the left arm. A bandage went around his bicep, blood soaking through it. "Oh my god...oh my god, what happened to you guys?" she asked, pulling away from David and going over to Murphy, lightly touching his arm. On this side of the table, she could see that Connor had his right leg propped up on a chair, a hole torn in the fabric of his jeans revealing a similar bandage around his thigh.

"It's okay, love," Murphy whispered, raising his right hand to her cheek and giving her a soft smile. His smile didn't carry to his eyes, however, like it normally did; it only confirmed to her that something was definitely wrong. Connor kept staring straight ahead at the tv.

"But what happened?" Dani's voice was getting higher pitched with worry.

"The less you know, the better, sweetheart," Connor said without looking at her. His face was like stone. "We're okay."

"Okay? O-fucking-kay?!"

"Oh, would you calm the fuck down, Daniela?" Connor yelled at her, finally turning in her direction, his eyes cold. "We did a job, we ran into a little trouble, we got out. That's all you need to know."

Dani looked from him to David, to Murphy. The latter two looked almost apologetic, but she knew she wasn't going to get any better of an explanation. She sighed, trying to convince herself that she should just be happy they were alive. Murphy put a cigarette into his mouth and scooted his chair away from the table a little. He gently pulled her down onto his knee, wrapping his injured arm around her waist. She leaned against him heavily, grateful for the support, both physical and emotional. Her head rested against his; and she closed her eyes, allowing herself to just breathe him in. She'd gotten more comfortable around him and grown almost used to his little bits of flirting and compliments, but this was the first time he'd actually shown any physical affection towards her. She didn't know if it was just because he could see how worried she was or if there was something more, but she didn't care at the moment.

"Christ," she heard David mutter under his breath, but she didn't look up. She knew her liking of one of his friends annoyed him, but he'd get over it. He always did. She heard the volume of the tv go up; local news was on.

"...I'm confident that their investigation will end in the apprehension of the suspects." Dani looked up. It seemed to be a law enforcement big-wig, talking about the recent murders in the area. Murders in which she knew her brother had been a player, in one way or another. David turned off the tv with the remote and turned to her and the MacManus brothers.

"Fuckin' hell..." she heard Connor mutter. Murphy glanced at him, then dropped his head to light his cigarette.

"What? What, that guy?" David said, gesturing at the blank tv screen.

"That's the guy that got us off the hook with the Chekov thing," Murphy said.

"He's one smart man," Connor added.

David shook his head. "They got nothin'..."

"This guy's very sharp," Connor said pointedly. "If he hasn't figured us out yet, he will."

Murphy chuckled, his fingers nervously tapping against Dani's thigh. "You bet your ass he will."

David leaned forward slightly. "Well, I'd say that makes him a lia-fuckin'-bility." Dani's eyes shifted over to her brother nervously. The three men had always been careful to not talk about their work in front of her. Something must have gone very wrong for them to do so now. Was it just because of the man who'd been on tv?

"He isn't to be touched," Connor said with a shake of his head.

"He's a good man," Murphy stated.

David sighed and rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Okay. Whatever." He raised a bottle of beer to his lips, obviously not convinced.

Dani's mouth fell open when she finally saw her brother's whole left hand was wrapped in bandages. "What happened to your hand?" she asked.

"What-- What happened to my hand?" David looked at her, his eyes wild. "What happened to my fuckin' hand? How 'bout you take a look at my fuckin' hand and see if you can figure it out for yourself? You're a smart girl! Here! Look! Look at my fuckin' hand!" He shoved it in her face, making her jerk away from his outburst. Murphy shoved his hand away but not before she noticed that David was missing his little finger. The blood left her face, and she felt suddenly ill. She jumped up and went to the sink to vomit. Hot tears streaked her face, but she didn't notice them until her stomach began to calm. She felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, baby girl," David said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" She stepped away from him and wiped her mouth on a dishrag. He looked at her apologetically.

Dani stared back at her brother for a couple minutes before speaking softly and slowly. "Just...whatever happened out there, please...don't let it happen again. I can't lose you." She looked behind at the brothers sitting at the table. "Any of you." She glanced at Murphy but let her eyes rest on Connor to let him know she meant him too. She hadn't grown close to him; but she did feel a connection, perhaps because he was Murphy's twin.

Murphy and Connor glanced at each other. Murphy cleared his throat. "We can't promise that," he said softly.

"Why?" The word came as a whisper. Her voice had left her.

"Because we weren't expecting it to happen," Connor said. "There was no way we could have expected it."

David put his hand on her shoulder again. "It was no different than any other job. Was gonna be in and out. But someone else knew we were there and tried to kill us."

"A cop?" she asked, knowing otherwise as she looked at the linoleum floor.

"No."

"One of Poppa Joe's?"

"No."

Her brother's answer surprised her, and her head shot up. "Then who?"

"We don't know," Murphy said. "That's why we couldn't have planned for it."

David's arms wrapped around her neck from behind, and she reached up to grab his forearms. "We'll be as careful as we can, Dani," he said softly, "but we can't really plan for this shit. We gotta just deal as it comes." She nodded slowly, stepping out of her brother's embrace. Without a word, she left the dining area. "Hey...where you goin'?" David called.

"To lie down," she replied from the hallway. She went into her bedroom and lay on the bed face down, hoping her exhausted emotions would push her to sleep. She could hear voices down the hallway, and brought up her head to try to make out what they were saying.

"...MY sister."

"...know that, but..."

"...doesn't even KNOW you guys..."

"Roc, listen..."

"...Murph, if you..."

Murphy and David. They were arguing, and it sounded like it was about her. As much as she strained she couldn't make out their words anymore. She didn't know if she was just tired or if they'd moved further away. She wasn't sure she cared. She just wanted sleep. At least then, she could pretend she'd been transported to another world for a while, even if it was just blackness. She turned onto her side, but her eyes wouldn't close. Her mind was still swirling with the information that she'd just gotten. Her brother and the MacManuses were on the run, and someone was close to figuring them out if Connor and Murphy were right. She felt her throat begin to be choked with tears at the thought of her brother being locked away again. This wasn't like last time. This wasn't like some petty crime that'd let him be out in a matter of months. This was murder. Multiple murders. And without Poppa Joe on his side to negotiate a release, the chance of seeing him again would be slim.

There was a knock on the door frame since she'd left the door open. She swiped a hand over her eyes to get rid of the tears. "Yeah?"

David came in and sat on the side of her bed. "You okay?" he asked. She looked at him and felt her chin begin to quiver. She just shook her head and hid her face in her pillow, crying quietly. She could hear him sigh and felt him rubbing her back. He touched her hair lightly, then kissed her head before getting up and leaving.

His exit made her cry harder. She felt like it was her last chance to see him, and she'd turned away. She didn't notice a presence beside her until she felt a light touch to her hair. She turned and saw Murphy kneeling next to her bed, his expression worried. She reached up and took his hand in hers, holding tightly as she cried into her pillow again. The bed shifted slightly as he sat on the edge, then she felt him pulling his hand away from her. No, not away, trying to pull her up to him. She sat up, but leaned against him. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly as she cried, not trying to shush her or calm her.

Finally her sobs subsided a little. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. "What...what am...I gonna do...if you...you guys get caught?" she stammered, sniffling.

Murphy smiled at her and kissed her temple. "You'll be fine. You're a strong girl. And besides, we won't be."

"But...you and Connor said..."

He shushed her gently. "Agent Smecker's sharp, but we're probably not going to be in town much longer."

She pulled back to look at him, surprise and horror in her eyes. His smile faded as he saw her reaction. "You...you're just...leaving?"

"We have to, love," he said, stroking her hot cheek with the back of his hand His skin felt cool to her, soothing. "It's getting too hot here."

She raised a hand to his, holding it against her skin. She turned her face and lightly kissed his hand. "Take me with you?" she asked, her voice small.

He seemed surprised by her question. "That's not my decision, love," he said, his expression turning sad. "Maybe if Rocco agrees, but I don't expect him to. Hell, I don't expect Connor to, either. It's too dangerous." Dani's eyes fell. She knew that, but she had to ask. "It's not like we'll never be back," Murphy said, moving his hand under her chin to make her look up at him. "We'll see you again."

The first hint of a smile touched her lips, making Murphy relax. "Promise?" she asked.

He nodded, leaning forward and touching his lips to hers for the briefest moment, surprising her and making her heart leap. "I promise," he whispered, looking straight into her eyes.

Dani smiled fully and gave a short nod. Murphy stood, still holding her hand; but she stayed on the bed. "I think I really am going to try to nap," she said, slipping her hand from his. He nodded and smiled at her, watching her as she lay down. He knelt next to the bed and brushed stray hair off her face, slowly stroking her cheek. As she stared into his eyes, Dani could feel her eyelids growing heavy. When her eyes closed, she felt Murphy's lips on hers again, a longer kiss this time, but just as soft as before. When he pulled away, she was smiling and on her way to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Dani awoke several hours later. It was dark outside, so she knew she'd slept into the evening. Rubbing her eyes and blinking against the light pouring out of the dining area, she shuffled in to where the three men were sitting at the table. They'd cleaned the blood off and changed clothes. There were Chinese take-out boxes scattered about. "Save me any?" Dani asked, peering into one on the counter.

"Nope," David said, making Murphy chuckle and bat his friend's head.

"Here, darlin'," Connor said, handing her a box that was still closed and warm to the touch. She opened it and grinned to see sweet and sour chicken, her favorite.

"Get any sleep?" David said, looking up at her, worry evident on his face.

She swallowed the bite of chicken she'd taken and nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"I'm goin' out for a smoke," Connor announced, standing. "Come on, Murph." Murphy looked up at his brother, then stood, the two leaving without another word.

"What's up with them?" Dani asked around a mouthful of food, taking a seat in the chair Connor had just vacated.

"I told 'em I wanted to talk to you alone," David said, leaning against the table.

"'Bout what?"

David sighed. "Look...I don't know what you and Murphy got goin'--"

"Nothin'," Dani interrupted, slightly annoyed that David was bringing it up. "It's nothin'. He kissed me tonight. That's it. Fuckin' first base." She jabbed her fork at her food, appetite waning.

David paused for a moment. "I just want you to know that it's cool, okay?"

"Like I need your fuckin' permission," she scoffed.

"Murphy's not the type of guy you normally go out with, Dani," David insisted, his tone making her look up. "I mean, you know what we do, pretty much, right? He's probably one of the most dangerous motherfuckers you could have fallen for, but you know why I'm okay with it?" She stayed silent. "'Cause I know he can protect you. None of those other fucks ever could. I never trusted them with my baby sister. Murph...he's...well, as they'd put it, he's a good man." Dani smiled slightly, nodding. "When you were cryin' in there tonight, I knew not a fuckin' thing I coulda said woulda helped," David continued. "Only thing I could think of was telling Murph to go in and see if he could help. And I guess he did." David shrugged.

Dani looked at him in surprise. "You sent Murphy in to talk to me? But I heard you arguing with him."

He nodded, his finger picking at a scratch on the table. "Yeah. He wanted to go in right away, but I wouldn't let him. Thought I'd be able to do it better, ya know? I'm your big brother, Dani. I've always been able to make you feel better." The look he gave her send a jolt of sadness through her. "I guess I can't always do that, though, huh..."

"David..."

"No, it's okay, Dani," he said, smiling softly. "If you want to be with him, go ahead. I just want you to be happy." Dani smiled at him, but her smile slowly faded. "What?" he asked, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Murphy said you'll be leaving soon..." she said, staring at the tabletop. "So how could I be with him even if I wanted to be?"

David sat silent for a moment, looking at her. "You really think I'd leave you in this shithole if we're getting out?" he asked. She slowly looked up at him. He leaned in closer to her and dropped his voice to just above a whisper. "Look, we're offing Poppa Joe this weekend. After that, we're movin' on to New York. You're coming with us." Dani's eyes widened. "Don't look so surprised. I'm not leaving my baby sister in a city where the last dregs of Poppa Joe's men will be lookin' everywhere for her."

Dani sat in shock for a moment, then shook her head. "But...I just got this job and--"

"Fuck the job, Dani, this is bigger than that!" David exclaimed. "We can take care of you until you get something in New York. Or better yet, don't get anything in New York."

"What, you want me to just cook and clean up after you guys or something?" she said, a sarcastic tone to her voice.

"Yes! After all, if you were a little housewife to Murphy, that's probably what you'd be doin' anyways, right?"

She blushed at the insinuation of her and Murphy being married. But her brother was right. Plus, she'd be able to be with Murphy and David, she'd get to know Connor better since he may be her brother-in-law someday... That thought creeping into her head uninvited made her blush deeper and a nervous giggle escaped her. "Okay. Okay, just give me a day's warning, and I'll get shit packed up." Her eyes met her brother's, and she only then realized how similar his were to her own.

"Friday," he said with a slow nod. "Get your shit together by Friday night. We're leaving Sunday morning."

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That was Tuesday. Dani was busy all week between her normal job and packing up necessities. Connor and David were constantly arguing with her over what was necessary to take and what wouldn't be. They were making sure she wasn't packing too heavily. Murphy just looked on, amused as they argued. He made it his business to smooth the feathers they'd ruffled on her after the argument was over. He was usually successful with pulling her into his lap for a quick snuggle break or taking her into his arms from behind. She was easily distracted when it came to him. He was also glad that Rocco had finally calmed down about his relationship with Dani. He felt a little honored that he'd been given Big Brother David's blessing.

Saturday rolled around, and the three men were gone when Dani woke up. That was normal as the MacManuses were adamant about going to church in the morning and taking David with them, even if he wasn't religious. Dani was like her brother, not religious in any sense; but she awoke that morning with a need to pray. She sat at the table in the dining room, her hands clasped under her chin. "God...I know I never talk to you, but...I really fuckin' need to be sure they're safe tonight. They're doing what you told them to, from what Murph told me. Just..." She sniffed, tears stinging her eyes and running down her cheeks as she looked up at the ceiling. "Just...please...keep them safe..."

Dani paced the floor in her living room, watching the clock tick past 10 PM, then 11 PM, then 12 AM. It was officially Sunday, and they weren't back yet. She realized she was crying again, as she had been most of the day. The boys hadn't been back after church, but she didn't know why. She figured they'd been scoping out Poppa Joe's place one last time. "Please don't let them have been caught," she whispered. She'd also been praying all day. It was the only way she could stay sane. She gasped and whirled around to face the front door when she heard a key in the lock. It was 1 AM.

Three men entered the apartment. Her heart jumped with joy. She took a step towards them, but stopped suddenly. Something wasn't right. That wasn't what David was wearing when he left.

It wasn't David.

The MacManus brothers were covered in blood, the stranger behind them clothed in black and smoking a cigar, his face mostly obscured by dark glasses and the hat he was wearing. "Where's David?" Dani tried to say, but her voice didn't come out any higher than a whisper.

Murphy looked up at her, blood still staining his chin and right cheek. His eyes were pained, but he didn't say anything. Connor's face was even more bloodied. Dani could tell they'd both tried to wipe the blood off, but hadn't been very successful. "Where's my brother?" she asked, her voice finally audible though shaking.

Murphy looked at Connor, then to the man behind them. The stranger slowly nodded towards Dani and gently pushed Murphy in her direction. "Dani," Murphy said, his voice catching. That break in his voice confirmed Dani's worst fears; and she collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Murphy rushed to her, pulling her to him with one arm. "I'm so sorry, Dani, I'm so sorry," he repeated, his frame shaking with tears of his own.

"You fucks!" she yelled. "You were supposed to protect him! You were supposed to take care of him! You fucks!" Her fists hit Murphy's shoulders, but there was no strength to her blows. She could only lay her head on his shoulder and sob. She and Murphy sat on the floor together, crying; but it was only a few minutes before the stranger touched her head and made her look up at him.

"Come on, dear. We must be goin'," he said, his voice soft. She looked into his face and saw that he'd removed the glasses. His eyes had a familiar quality to them, but she wasn't sure why. She wanted to ask who he was, but Murphy was pulling her to her feet.

"No," Dani said, standing her ground. "I'm not leaving this city without killing the motherfucker who killed my brother."

"Don't worry," Connor said, picking up one of the bags she'd packed. "We'll be takin' care of that soon."

Murphy took her hand and tried to pull her to the door, but again she stood fast. "Who did it?" she asked.

"Dani, please," Murphy said, his eyes pleading with her to leave the apartment.

She looked him in the face, her eyes flashing. "Who. Did it."

Murphy looked at Connor, then back to Dani. "Poppa Joe pulled the trigger." Dani's lips pressed together in a thin, white line.

The stranger stepped forward again and took Dani's hand, putting his sunglasses on with the other hand in spite of the late hour. "Come now, we must leave." Dani let herself be pulled along, leaving Connor and Murphy to pick up their belongings. As the door closed behind them, Dani looked back, grinding her teeth at the last sight she saw of her apartment. David's bag was left behind.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Final chapter, guys! Ah, but don't despair. Dani's story continues in the next story I'm posting, so keep your eyes open. It'll be popping up soon! Thanks for all the love! Lastly, once again, I do not claim ownership over any of the lines that I took straight from the movie. Troy Duffy is a god, and I would never try to take credit for his work._

Three months passed before Dani got her satisfaction. She slipped into the courtroom audience, even though she wasn't supposed to be there. Security was lax, but only because of the MacManuses and the connections they'd made. She met the man she'd seen on the tv that day, Agent Paul Smecker from the FBI. He assured her that he wouldn't let anyone get in the way of the MacManus brothers getting vengeance for her brother's death. She learned the night of David's death that the stranger who had escorted the brothers back to her apartment had been their long estranged father, and that he was the one who'd injured them so badly earlier in that week. She took comfort in his presence, much as the brothers themselves seemed to. He knew what he was doing in this dirty business.

She sat in the back of the courtroom, seething as she glared at Poppa Joe, who was on the stand, giving his testimony. She only sat near the back so there would be no chance of him recognizing her. She didn't think he'd ever actually seen her, but she couldn't risk it. If he knew she was there, he'd know something was going to happen.

A door crashed open, and the MacManuses barged into the courtroom, father and sons. They were all brandishing weapons, yelling for everyone to get to the back of the courtroom. Dani dropped behind the bench to play along, to make it look as if she had nothing to do with it, to make it seem as if she was as clueless as to what was about to happen as everyone else. Murphy yanked Poppa Joe off the stand, bringing him around to the front of the courtroom and forcing him to his knees. Murphy's gun was pointed directly at Poppa Joe's head. Dani almost stood at that point. She wanted him to see her. She wanted him to know that she wanted him dead. But she didn't. Everything had to go to plan right now.

Connor quickly moved beside his brother, dropping his own gun level with Poppa Joe's head. Their father, Noah MacManus, the infamous "Il Duce," paced back and forth in front of Poppa Joe, facing their captive audience. "You people have been chosen," he announced loudly, "to reveal our existence to the world. You will witness what happens here today, and you will tell of it later. All eyes to the front..."

"Now's a good time to fucking--" Poppa Joe's cry was cut off as Murphy kicked him in the back, Connor yelling, "Shut your fuckin' mouth!" Murphy grabbed the mob boss by the back of his suit jacket and pulled him back onto his knees.

Dani watched as Noah walked slowly to a girl in the front of the audience and gently made her raise her head, whispering something Dani couldn't hear.

A loud bell began to clang, a fire alarm. The brothers separated, both climbing up on desks as Noah cocked his shotgun and replaced the boys' guns at Poppa Joe's head with his own. The brothers held their arms open, pointing their guns at the crowd, prompting people to duck down frantically. Dani felt a man next to her pulling at her sleeve, trying desperately to make her duck further down; but she pulled away, meeting his eyes only briefly.

Instead, she kept her head higher than the rest, listening as the brothers announced what their business there was. Her blood rushed heavily in her head, her spirit set aflame by their words. She knew now why David had joined them, these "Saints." As they proclaimed their intent to hunt the evil among the people, Dani wished she could join the hunt. She knew they would never allow it; it would be too dangerous. Her thoughts were broken by the brothers jumping down from their perches to join their father, two more guns leveled at Poppa Joe's head.

"And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee..."

"The prayer..." she whispered aloud, now mesmerized by these three men so moved by the spirit of God to do His will. David had told her that they ritualistically said a prayer over their victims before the final kill. Murphy told her that they had also prayed it over David's body; for some reason, that fact had helped her gain a little peace.

"...power hath descended forth from Thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command..."

Dani bowed her head briefly, crossing herself as tears rolled down her face. "I love you, David," she whispered. She looked back up. She had to watch.

"...So we shall flow a river forth to Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be."

Noah spoke alone. "In Nomine Patris..."

Connor. "Et Filii..."

Murphy glanced up at Dani as the brothers pulled back the hammers on their guns. She nodded ever so slightly at him. "Et Spiritu Sancti," he finished.

The guns went off in unison, and Dani gasped at the gore. This wasn't a movie. Real life doesn't cut away to spare one's eyes from true horror and reality. She watched as Poppa Joe was killed, as David's death was settled. The doors were then opened from the outside, and people began to stream out of the courtroom in a panic. Her eyes met Murphy's again, and he nodded towards the door. The plan was to meet up with them outside, go with the crowd. Instead she stepped forward, slipping in the blood. "What're you doin'?" Connor yelled over the noise.

"Please!" She held a hand to Murphy, who looked at her helplessly. This wasn't part of the plan. This was dangerous, even letting people see her go to them.

"Come on." Noah grabbed her arm roughly and shoved her to Murphy. "There's no time to argue."

Murphy took her hand, and the four left the courtroom through a back door. Past the judge's chambers. Dani saw that a man was holding a fire door open for them to exit the building. He looked surprised upon seeing her, but there was no time to protest. A second man held the doors of a police wagon open; and Murphy jumped into it, helping Dani into it after him. Connor and Noah followed, as did the man who had held the fire door open. The doors to the wagon then shut. There was a jostle, then the sound of the engine starting. The vehicle started to move. They had made their escape.

"I thought..." the man started to say.

"It's all right, Duffy," Connor said. "She wanted to come along."

Duffy looked at Dani, confused at first, then seeming to see things a little more clearly when Murphy took off his coat and gently placed it around her shoulders. "You're David Della Rocco's sister, then, aren't you?" he said, his voice soft and warm. Dani looked up at him and nodded. He only looked back at her with saddened eyes.

"Are you all right, dear?" Noah said, leaning across the wagon towards Dani.

She nodded. "I'll be okay." Murphy pulled her tighter against him, letting her lean against his shoulder. The wagon was quiet until the engine was stopped. It was time to get out.

"This is as far as we can take you," the driver said, a tall lanky man.

"'S far enough, Green-Beans," Connor said, patting the man on the shoulder before shaking his hand.

Dani separated herself from the men as they said their farewells, trying to figure out where they were. "Could only take ya as far as the outskirts of Boston," Duffy said from behind her. As she turned to face him, he shrugged, seeming apologetic. "If the truck's seen outside our jurisdiction..." He shrugged again.

"It's more than enough," she said, smiling softly. She stepped towards him and wrapped him in a hug. He hugged her tightly. "I know how much you all risked for us," she whispered. "Thank you. I won't forget this."

Duffy smiled at her as he released her. Together they walked back to the MacManuses, and Dani wrapped her arms around Murphy. "So what now?" asked a slightly heavyset man, another detective who'd ridden in the front of the vehicle.

Murphy sighed. "Now...we walk for a bit. Find a hotel. Figure the rest out from there."

The three detectives nodded and raised their hands in farewell again before climbing back into the wagon, turning around and leaving to head back to town. Wordlessly, the Saints and Dani began their walk.

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Eight months later, Dani and the MacManuses had struggled to disappear in New York. It wasn't as easy as they'd hoped. Dani was able to find work, but the brothers couldn't risk letting themselves be seen in one place too often. Finally it got to be too much. No matter where they were in the country, they'd never stop jumping at noises. While Dani was at work one day, the MacManus family had come to a conclusion. That day, Dani came home to find only Murphy at the apartment. He was happy to see her, greeting her with a hug and long kiss. When she asked where the others were, he grinned and said he'd talked them into letting him and Dani have the place to themselves for the night.

Murphy took her out that night, a fancy dinner, a romantic walk. As they returned to the apartment, he could hardly wait for the door to close behind them to take her in his arms and kiss her passionately. "I love you, Daniela," he whispered, making her feel as if she was floating, dreaming this perfect night. He went to bed with her, making love to her and holding her as she fell asleep.

She awoke cold. "Murphy?" She felt the bed beside her and felt nothing. The room was dark; it was still early. "Murph?" She got up and wrapped a robe around herself, checking the alarm clock. 5:30 in the morning. She left the bedroom and looked around the apartment. The living room and kitchen were dark. The room the brothers shared with their father was dark as well. She didn't see figures in the beds and turned on the lights. Her heart nearly stopped. Their personal effects were gone from the nightstands. Sunglasses, rosaries, cigarette lighters...everything. The only thing left was an envelope. "No," she whispered, picking it up, but not wanting to open it. Murphy's handwriting spelled out her name, but she was too afraid to read what she knew was inside.

Her fingers numbly opened the envelope and pulled out the paper.

_Daniela,_

_I'm so sorry, my dear. I wish this could have gone differently, but I can't change things now. We can't stay in the country. Da, Connor, and I are going back to Ireland. I don't know where we're going or what we'll be doing, but we have to leave here. I wanted to take you with us, but they said it'd be too dangerous. This thing will be following us everywhere. Eventually, even to Ireland. And when it finds us, the last thing I want is to put you in even more danger than I already have._

_We've left you a good amount of money in the kitchen cupboard. Do what you want with it. I just wanted to be sure you were taken care of if you had to leave for some reason. I only pray you don't have to ever run for your life because of me._

_Please forgive me, Dani. I wanted to give you everything I could in one night, but I still don't feel like I could. I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. I love you. Stay safe._

_~Your Murphy_

Dani could hardly read the words through her tears. She brought the paper to her lips and kissed it softly. "I could never hate you, Murphy," she whispered. She sat on the bed that had once been his and began to pray that she'd see him again somehow.


End file.
